"The great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." - Revelation 12:9 NASB

The devil is a deceiver. In fact, the Bible teaches that his goal is to 'deceive'. The Greek word here means to lead aside. It comes from a word that means 'wandering or roving'. This word tells us that God has given us the right course of action, but Satan wants us to wander away from it. God has given us the right goals and the path that will lead to fulfillment and blessing, but Satan wants to distract and mislead us. He will encourage us to go in directions that may seem beneficial, but ultimately will lead us off course. Satan does not want us to be stable or committed to the truth. He encourages us to stray, to roam, to rove about. He works diligently to make these alternative paths attractive. He seeks to deceive us about the purpose of our lives and God’s promises. He does everything possible to keep us from thinking that God’s Word is true.

He does not just seek to deceive us, but 'the whole world'. He seeks to deceive Christians and non—Christians, rich and poor, men and women, young and old, politicians and celebrities, educators and athletes. He is not interested in being fair, but will do anything to deceive.

Today, remember that Satan seeks to deceive you. He will try to deceive your mind and emotions. He wants to keep you from believing God’s Word. He wants you to give up, to be angry and afraid, to worry. But you have a choice! Don’t be ignorant of the devil’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). Stand on God’s Word. Renew your faith in Him. Trust Him!

Today's Inspirational Prayer: Father, help me to be on guard against the deception of the devil. Give me discernment. Thank You for the power and authority You have given me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.